Ocean Doctor’s Award-Winning Cuba Educational Experiences

An Unforgettable Learning Adventure

Ocean Doctor’s award-winning educational experiences in Cuba are unique, providing participants with a rich, in-depth experience that draws from our more than 17 years leading collaborative research and conservation work in Cuba. Participating in our educational programs provides participants with exclusive access to some of Cuba’s most important scientists, conservationists and community leaders, working tirelessly to help Cuba navigate profound change while protecting its natural and cultural heritage.

Travel to Cuba under Ocean Doctor’s Cuba Educational Experiences Program is legal for U.S. citizens and residents (and meets the new restrictions imposed by the Trump Administration.) Ocean Doctor is licensed by the U.S. Treasury Department for educational programs to Cuba and we work to ensure that all activities are in full compliance with U.S. Treasury regulations. Despite the normalization of diplomatic relations between Cuba and the U.S., the U.S. economic embargo of Cuba remains in place. Under the embargo, travel to Cuba by U.S. citizens for tourism is prohibited. However, licensed “people-to-people” educational visits are permitted.

Create a custom educational experience in Cuba for your group, from 8 to 20 individuals.

Ocean Doctor’s Cuba Educational Experiences program was recognized in Outside Magazine’sBest Of Awards for 2015!

Our trip…exceeded my expectations! The Cuban people were warm and welcoming to us all. Our educational programs totally raised my awareness of the beauty and importance of keeping our reefs healthy…I hope that David and Ocean Doctor can continue these programs to others.

Ocean Doctor’s Cuba Educational Experiences were the cover story in Scuba Diving Magazine!

Upcoming Scheduled Educational Experiences

The Ocean Doctor’s 100th Trip to Cuba! (June 30 – July 8, 2018)

For nearly 18 years, Ocean Doctor founder and president, Dr. David E. Guggenheim has dedicated his career to research and conservation efforts in Cuba to protect coral reef ecosystems, working in close collaboration with Cuban scientists, conservationists and citizens through Ocean Doctor’s Cuba Conservancy Program. His work has been featured on 60 Minutes, PBS NewHour, the New York Times among others. Joint work on marine science and conservation has been cited as one of the best examples of Cuba-U.S. collaboration and has been credited with helping to support diplomatic efforts to normalize relations between the two countries. Since his first visit to Cuba in 2000, Dr. Guggenheim has been enchanted with the island’s natural wonders, its rich and vibrant cultural heritage, but most of all, by the warmth and spirit of the Cuban people. To celebrate his 100th visit to Cuba, he is inviting a small group (limited to 10) to join him on an exclusive trip to visit some of his favorite places and people on the island.

Cuba’s Isle of Youth – The Invisible Island (Fall/Winter 2018)

Travel with the “Ocean Doctor,” Dr. David E. Guggenheim, founder and president of Ocean Doctor, on an unforgettable adventure to Cuba’s “invisible” island — the Isle of Youth. Visited by Columbus and scores of pirates, the island has a rich and unusual history, including decades as a territory of the United States. Today, however, residents of the island often feel invisible, forgotten and disconnected from the rest of Cuba, an “island within an island.” (See the EcoWatch article, Finding Hope for the Isle of Youth.) Dwarfed by the massive main island of Cuba, the world is barely aware of its very existence, despite the fact that it is the seventh largest island in the Caribbean. The island has struggled for decades, with limited economic opportunities for its residents, mostly in agriculture and fishing. Formerly known as the Isle of Pines, it has long since been forgotten as an international tourist destination.

Our journey, focused on Cuba’s environmental future — but also including a rich dose of arts and culture — includes in-depth visits to historic Havana and the beautiful ViñalesValley. The trips highlight is a visit the uncommon destination of Cuba’s Isle of Youth where we will go behind the scenes of Ocean Doctor’s work there, the first-ever official project between the Cuban Environmental Ministry and a U.S. organization. We’ll visit the island’s capital, Nueva Gerona and visit Presidio Modelo, the prison where Fidel Castro spent 5 years under the Batista regime. We’ll explore the island’s flora and fauna, both above and below the water, hiking to the highest point on the island with local naturalists and scuba diving and snorkeling in Punta Frances, a stunning protected area with healthy coral reef ecosystems. Visitors will be able to explore caves to see primitive cave paintings in remarkable condition. We will also visit the small community of Cocodrilo (“crocodile”) where Ocean Doctor is working with the community to develop sustainable alternatives to fishing, such as ecotourism, in a project called Red Alerta. Throughout the trip, we will experience warm, meaningful and fascinating engagement with the Cuban people, from leaders in science and education to community residents trying to make a difference.

We are currently finalizing the dates and itinerary for the trip. If you are interested in traveling with us, please click the “Contact Us” button below to submit a no-obligation query so we can keep you informed as we finalize the program. This trip is legal for U.S. citizens, even following the recent restrictions announced by the Trump Administration. Ocean Doctor has a 17-year track record working in Cuba in full compliance of U.S. regulations.

The New York Times Travel Section (January 7, 2018) features Cuba’s little-known Isle of Youth, the seventh-largest island in the Caribbean but virtually unknown. The article, by Tony Perrottet, is an in-depth travelogue based on a visit to the island during July 2017 with Ocean Doctor president, Dr. David E. Guggenheim. The Isle of Youth contains vast marine reserves, beautiful coral reefs and upland forests and is now the focus of most of Ocean Doctor’s research and conservation work. Read the New York Times article…

School Educational Experiences

In partnership with the University of Havana, Ocean Doctor has developed custom educational programs and expeditions to Havana, Cuba’s Isle of Youth and other locales for U.S. schools seeking a unique and enriching educational experience. Our programs include opportunities for students to fulfill service requirements by engaging with local communities and participating in hands-on research and conservation projects. Students have an unforgettable opportunity to snorkel or scuba dive alongside Cuban researchers and graduate students and participate in real research efforts. Our trips are ideal for middle school through undergraduate levels. Please contact us for a consultation.

Even though the flight from Miami to Havana was only a mere 45 minutes, when we landed in Cuba it felt like we were a million miles from home. Our 12-day adventure with five teenage students from Denver, Colorado was truly a life-changing experience. To get a taste of life in Cuba’s largest city, we visited with artists who have inspired entire neighborhoods, walked the streets of Old Havana, and dined in local paladars. Then we spent 8 days scuba diving in the relatively untouched waters off the coast of Punta Frances conducting underwater research under the supervision of scientists from the University of Havana’s Center for Marine Research. Ocean Doctor prepared an exciting and educational experience for everyone. Their professionalism, knowledge, and positive attitude made every minute of this adventure worthwhile. We cannot wait to return to Cuba and to work with Ocean Doctor again.

My first interaction with Ocean Doctor was at the Blue Ocean Film Festival in my home town of St. Petersburg, Florida. A year later, I ended up working with Ocean Doctor to create a unique educational trip for my school focused on marine conservation along with the exploration of Cuban culture and history.

Initially, my excitement about going to Cuba revolved around the pristine reefs and my desire to learn more about the role tourism plays in Cuba’s environment. However, when our plane landed in Cuba, I quickly realized that the culture and history would be just as impactful as the beauty of the natural environment.

After over a week of being immersed in Cuban culture in Havana and Cienfuegos as well as snorkeling in the beautiful waters off of the Isle of Youth, I had learned so much more than I’d imagined I would when planning the trip. As we sat in the airplane after waiting through hours of delays, we saw Air Force One touch down bringing President Obama for his historic visit to Cuba. That moment was just one of many moments that solidified my desire to learn more about how to protect both Cuba’s incredible natural environment as well as its rich culture.

Custom Educational Experiences in Cuba

Ocean Doctor, in partnership with our travel providers and Cuban colleagues, offers custom educational experiences for groups interested in Cuba’s natural environment, conservation and understanding the changes now taking place on the island. Whether your group is a small family group or a large organizational delegation, we’re happy to work with you and lead your educational experience in Cuba. (Our minimum group size is 8. If you have a smaller group, please consider one of our scheduled trips.) Please get in touch for more information and a consultation. Please also be sure to subscribe to our newsletter and be the first to receive updates on our Cuba Educational Experiences.

About Us

Ocean Doctor is a nonprofit organization based in Washington, DC. Our mission is to advance the conservation of the world’s oceans through scientific research, education and community engagement. Our Cuba Conservancy Program is built on more than 16 years of work experience in Cuba. At the core of Cuba Conservancy’s mission is to establish sustained collaboration between Cuba and the United States to:

ensure enduring, locally-supported marine research and conservation programs in Cuba.

contribute to major advances in the scientific understanding of Cuba’s natural resources.

achieve meaningful, long-lasting conservation for Cuba’s marine ecosystems and shared ecosystems of the Gulf of Mexico.

The program builds upon a strong foundation of scientific research. Research not only serves the purpose of advancing science and informing conservation policy efforts, but also helps forge strong, long-term collaborative relationships and credibility, facilitating efforts in the policy arena.

IMPORTANT: Touristic travel to Cuba by Americans remains ILLEGAL. Despite normalization of diplomatic relations between the U.S. and Cuba, the trade embargo remains in effect. Please be aware of travel scams as a number of travel agencies are illegally offering scuba diving and fly fishing packages to U.S. citizens without proper licensing or by offering trips under unrelated licenses, such as religious licenses or humanitarian aid. Booking travel directly with these organizations violates U.S. law. Travel with Ocean Doctor is legal under a license from U.S. Department of Treasury. Click here for more information.

Our Ocean Doctor sponsored trip to Gardens of the Queen in Cuba exceeded all expectations. Lodging and transportation arrangements In Havana along with the educational component and guided tours made the land based days interesting and well worth while. The diving experience was almost beyond belief! Imagine what Caribbean marine life was like 50 or 100 years ago, that’s what you’ll see in the Gardens of the Queen.

Ed Kelly

As the icy Cold War between the USA and Cuba begins to thaw, we feel very privileged to have traveled with Ocean Doctor to Havana and Garden of the Queens. Every person we met — hosts, land and sea guides, guests speakers — evidenced a great measure of knowledge, kindness and care. The commentary by the tour guides, the discussions with speakers, and of course, the diving, all exceeded our expectations. Hope to return again as soon as time and tides allow.

Maida Taylor

Our trip to Havana and The Gardens of the Queen exceeded my expectations! The Cuban people were warm and welcoming to us all. Our educational programs totally raised my awareness of the beauty and importance of keeping our reefs healthy. To be able to dive in pristine and virginal waters opened my eyes further to how we can improve the reefs throughout the world. I hope that David and Ocean Doctor can continue these programs to others. The story truly lies underwater! Thank you

Sandy Driscoll

The Ocean Doctor facilitation of U.S. divers in conjunction with Avalon and the Cuban ministry of tourism was a seamless coordination which made the entire experience an educational and diving treat.

Cuba and it’s people are a safe and striving community. There is no danger to visitors and tourists are welcomed and respected. None of us felt threatened despite our gender or the hour while exploring Havana.

Want a little safe adventure in your life? Do it.

Peter W. King, DVM

Any trepidation I had about traveling to Cuba from the United States soon evaporated when I arrived in Havana and was warmly greeted by Ruxandra, our representative from Avalon travel. She was the first of many who had a role in making the trip so memorable. We checked into our comfortable hotel in Old Havana. From my room’s balcony window I could watch the famous old cars cruise by. As an educational tour we were able to take advantage of the connections generated by the founder of Ocean Doctor who was traveling with us on his 70th trip to Cuba. We spent time with the scientists, dive operators and environmentalists who were working to preserve the Cuban marine environment. They shared their knowledge and passion during discussions and over meals together. A picture was forming as to how the Gardens of the Queen became such a remarkable marine preserve and what challenges there are to keep it that way. Our time in Havana passed quickly as we enjoyed the sites and sounds of this historic old city. Visits to Hemingway’s hangouts rounded out our stay in Havana. As an avid diver, instructor, and tour leader for 40 years I have seen the changes that have occurred to our reefs in the Caribbean. I was overjoyed by the health, diversity, and beauty of the Garden of the Queens reef system. There is very little (if any) diving left in the Caribbean that can compare to the diving at these sites. Adding to the sense of wonder was that we were the only boat in sight at any of our dive sites. I will be going back soon because I spent so much time watching the reef sharks, tarpon, goliath grouper and other big fish that I missed the little stuff like nudibranchs and other favorites. I highly recommend this trip to all divers. It will recharge your sense of wonder and hope for the Caribbean reefs.

Cuba lingers…in your heart and soul……! A most memorable and amazing journey to a land where time has stood still. it was so refreshing to see and interact with a vibrant, energized and happy but hard working people willing to share with you their stories, their art, their passions, their hopes for the future. The sight of horse drawn carriages in the countryside and ’50s vintage cars in the city was such a delight! It was equally wonderful not to see western franchises, commercial billboards, people talking or texting on cellphones. Instead, there was music everywhere and lovely people willing to share their experiences in engaging conversation. What a novel concept! Thanks to Ocean Doctor for making this possible and for Erika, who was the most fearless of leaders! She is an amazing woman who was professional, competent, fun & funny, and fluent in spanish (which helped us immensely in understanding the hopes and concerns of the people). She went the extra mile and had answers for all of our questions…..we were in excellent hands! Our guides in Habana were knowledgeable and friendly. Our staff on Georgiana was fantastic! They catered to our every need by providing us with wonderful food, drinks, accommodations, cool refreshing face towels after a dive, beautifully shaped towels/sheets of various sea creatures in our room…. and the ever present smile! You could tell there was a lot of love and care put in everything they did. The competent and very knowledgeable avalon managers/divemasters provided us with underwater and land experiences that will not be soon forgotten! I have traveled around the world and few places have touched me as deeply as Cuba and its smiling, generous, resourceful and kind people. It is a unique place that awakens all the senses, touches the soul, and puts you back in touch with humanity. i would return in a heart beat!

Teresa Greenway

This trip was absolutely worth every cent. We loved our time in Havana, with the guides and walking around and the restaurants. Food was surprisingly quite good. The diving was absolutely far and away the best in the Caribbean (and we have been almost everywhere that’s easily accessible) and the Avalon dive operation was professional, on time and first rate. We would go back in a minute!

Cathy Mack

I was on the first “people to people” trip with diving to Gardens of the Queen with David and some of the finest dive industry experts. This 11 day/10 night program is an excellent combination of education, diving and culture. The interaction with the top Cuban Marine biologists and conservationists was very informative. The diving at Gardens of the Queen is the finest Caribbean diving with unique, up close shark interactions and huge quantities of fish living in a balanced and fully protected marine eco system. And the touring of Havana and other parts of Cuba was memorable and eye opening. The Avalon II live aboard will be finished in March, 2014 and appears to be on track to be one of the finest floating hotels in Cuba if not the world.

I was honored to be invited along on the first trip to Cuba that Ocean Doctor now conducts as a person-to-person, cultural and educational program. I must say that the journey fulfilled all three of those criteria, allowing us to meet and converse with a wide range of Cuban citizens and learn about their history, daily lives and their work to conserve both the marine and land environments. The diving we were privileged to experience in The Gardens of the Queen was simply phenomenal. I’ve dived all over the Caribbean but have never seen the health and diversity in the total marine environment than I saw there. Cuba and Ocean Doctor are doing amazing things to preserve our oceans for future generations.

Just returned from Ocean Doctor’s People-to-People expedition to Cuba, and what a great experience!! The people were friendly and open. We had unlimited access to marine biologists, researchers, and environmental economists, who all gave excellent presentations on Cuba’s marine environment. And the diving in Gardens of the Queen was absolutely outstanding. Can’t remember the last time I saw such prolific schools of fish and tarpon. There were sharks (caribbean reef, silkys, nurse) on every dive and the staff and crew were fabulous!! Thank you David G. for all your hard work in opening up this beautiful country and it’s marine environment to us!!

I just wanted to personally thank you for organizing and leading our group to Cuba. Larry and I had such a memorable time, getting to see and interact with the Cubans and diving the Jardines de la Reina. This was the trip of a lifetime for us, and I am so impressed with your knowledge and commitment to making the experience so enjoyable. Your passion to Cuba and our future with them is extraordinary!